From Steiner U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,996 issued May 13, 1986 entitled WEFT YARD CONTROL FOR A WEAVING MACHINE ROTOR is known a device for grasping and holding weft thread ends (in) series-shed looms, in which the inserted weft thread is held in the rotating rotor on both sides by a clamping wire spring. The stationary weft thread clamping device comprises a rectilinear clamping groove, which extends over several reed spacing angles.
This device has several disadvantages. The weft thread ends, which are inserted by the rotor movement into the clamping groove and are further displaced, are subject to a rocking stress before leaving the clamped position, which results in the weft ends being crushed, breaking or prematurely sliding out of the clamping groove, for example. The fact that, because of the rectilinear path of the groove, the position of the clamped weft thread ends does not agree with the position of the weft thread rotating in the shed on an approximately circular path, also has a disadvantageous effect. This results in the weft thread being deviated at the transition point between the rotor and the clamping groove and as a result not being cleanly beaten up at the fabric, and/or defective edges being produced.